


Safe In Your Soul

by Blue_Five



Series: Walk Away If You Can [2]
Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-02-13 18:04:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2159994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Five/pseuds/Blue_Five
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suits AU (alpha/omega) - Mike Ross is Harvey Specter's mate.  Harvey doesn't share.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Your Sighs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The season 4 finale has me worried and I just wanted some a/o goodness between these two. So onward with their adventures!

Mike looks behind him with wide eyes. He's been running through this warehouse for what seems like hours -- his breath is coming in great gulps and sweat pours down his face.  His pursuer is closing fast and the support rafter below his feet just ran out.  Mike knows he can either let himself be captured or he can take the unexpected path.  He's an omega, so no one expects him to go the dangerous route and that gives him an advantage.  He quickly gauges the space and, taking a deep breath, launches himself across to the next rafter. He ignores the shout behind him and exhales when his hands close firmly on the metal beam. Swinging up onto the rafter easily, Mike looks over at the man chasing him and grins proudly. The smile fades when the other man’s lips curl into a snarl and he calls, “Lights!”

The lights in the warehouse flare to full brightness and the man points sharply to the left where a catwalk circles the upper half of the warehouse.  Mike sighs, head drooping.  He runs lightly along the beam and drops down onto the metal grating.  His alpha, Harvey, is on him a second later, hands moving briskly over his torso before giving Mike's forehead a sharp push with two fingers.

“Damn it, Mike! I didn’t tell you to try and kill yourself!” Harvey snaps.

“What are you talking about? That was _awesome_ in case you didn’t notice!” Mike retorts, rubbing his head.

“Not when it’s _my_ omega throwing himself over a fifty-foot drop!” Harvey replies.

Mike rolls his eyes. “I was fine, Harvey … I knew I could clear it.”

Harvey runs his hand over his face and exhales sharply.  Mike scents his alpha's distress -- the sun-kissed laundry smell is suddenly muted and sour.  Harvey was actually _afraid_ for him -- Mike steps into the alpha’s space and gently nose-bumps the jawline of his mate.  It’s taken Mike two years to convince Harvey to let him participate in the more physical forms of training. He doesn’t want his alpha to freak out during the first week.  Plus, Mike never wants to deliberately upset his mate like this.  The bond between them is strong and Harvey's distress translates into Mike's distress.

“Mike …”

“I’m ok, alpha,” Mike soothes. “I'm sorry I caught you off-guard ... I was just showing off."

Harvey looks at the wide-blue eyes gazing at him.  He knows his omega is trying to soften the blow and calm him.  He melts a little inside at the affection and love on display although he keeps his facial expression carefully neutral.  Mike smells truly repentant.  Harvey presses his nose to Mike pulse and inhales.

“You do that again without a safety harness and you can watch from the sidelines again,” Harvey warns.

Mike sighs but nods. “I promise, Harvey … so where are you taking me this evening?”

Harvey chuckles. “I shouldn’t take you anywhere after that little stunt, but it’s still a surprise. Nice try.”

Mike gives an exaggerated pout but then finds himself fleeing his alpha for entirely different reasons. He laughs when Harvey tackles him to the floor in the apartment built into the warehouse. Mike accepts the claiming kiss as his alpha works frantically to get the omega's clothes off. Harvey settles once he’s able to press his mouth to Mike’s heated torso, his tongue laving over the sweating flesh. Mike’s breath quickens and Harvey smiles against the warm skin. He latches onto a nipple and hears a desperate whine pull out of Mike’s throat. Harvey travels up with his kisses until he reaches the metal of Mike’s collar. He growls appreciatively when Mike writhes beneath him, arching his neck to expose more of it to Harvey’s mouth. Mike groans when Harvey’s teeth nip just below the collar. In the two years as Harvey’s mate, he hasn’t been able to stop his body’s response to Harvey doing anything regarding the collar that marks Mike as a claimed omega. It arouses him every time and Harvey uses that knowledge to play with his omega. It’s why an undignified yelp leaves his lips when Harvey kisses him perfunctorily on the lips and pushes up from the floor.

“Ha-Harvey? Hey!” Mike follows his alpha into the bedroom where Harvey is calmly divesting himself of his clothes to shower.

Mike does the same much less calmly and then trails Harvey into the bathroom. Harvey steps under the spray, leaving the stall door open for Mike to join him. Mike bites his lower lip. Even after two years, he can’t read _all_ of Harvey’s moods and he’s not sure if Harvey is just messing with him or if he’s seriously upset. Harvey chuckles.

“Get in here, Mike,” Harvey orders.

Mike obeys and is rewarded with Harvey’s hands on his hips and his mouth on Mike’s. The omega groans. When they break, he frowns at Harvey.

“Did I do something --?”

Harvey smiles and nuzzles Mike’s neck. “You're fine, Mike ... I'm getting excited about tonight.”

Mike makes a non-committal noise. Harvey regards him curiously. “You’re not?”

“No, I am … I just … I don’t want to disappoint you, Harvey,” Mike says quietly, chewing on his lip again.

“In two years, have I ever been disappointed?” Harvey asks, tapping Mike's lip with a finger to make him release.

Mike shakes his head.  Harvey kisses him and pulls them flush with a double-handed grip on Mike's ass.  He enjoys the groan Mike releases.

“Oh kid, how do you think you could _ever_ disappoint me ... you're so fucking perfect," Harvey murmurs as he kisses the hollow on Mike's throat.  "Don’t worry about it.  We don’t even have to go if you don’t want to … I just thought you might enjoy something a little out of the ordinary for us,” Harvey replies.

Mike blushes. “It’s a _lot_ out of the ordinary, Harvey.”

Harvey growls. “Yeah, but I never get to show you off, Mike. And I want to … I really, really want to show you off.  My gorgeous omega.”

Mike blushes again but his natural vanilla latte scent is light and wonderful on the steam of the shower so Harvey knows the slightly exhibitionist atmosphere promised by what Harvey _has_ told him is exciting the omega.

Harvey’s been purposefully vague with Mike about tonight. It’s their second anniversary as a mated pair and Harvey wants to display Mike at a traditional A/o club. Mike has no clue, however, that it’s one of the most exclusive clubs in the world.  Harvey suspects if he knew he'd psych himself right out of the evening.  Harvey isn’t concerned although he’s told Mike the highlights -- mainly that he'll be totally naked wearing a collar and a leash.  The club harkens back to a time when omegas were viewed more as fuckable pets than real people, but this club has a different viewpoint on the matter, which is why Harvey selected it.

Alphas thrive on being in charge, being in control. They love to feel the power of ownership and obedience that comes from a well-trained omega. What drew Harvey to the club after a guest visit was the club’s insistence that by emphasizing that submissive role yet pampering the omega at the same time, it brings out a side of omegas that isn’t often seen in the current independent society. Harvey only hopes Mike enjoys it.

Mike submits to being washed by Harvey.  It's not really sexual, just very relaxing for Mike and he finds himself sliding into a compliant headspace.  He's floating when Harvey leads him out to the bedroom and brings a box out of the closet.  Mike opens it eagerly like a kid on Christmas morning.  Harvey's gifts are always very thoughtful and usually fun.

Mike's smile warms Harvey to his toes when his omega sees the gift.  It's a butter-soft leather collar dyed a very rich brown -- it reminds Mike of Harvey’s eyes which makes him swallow dryly. “It’s beautiful, Harvey … is there --?”

Harvey picks up the inset and reveals the matching leash. Mike tries to swallow the groan that emerges but his body betrays him. Harvey smiles knowingly and kisses Mike’s temple. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Mike replies hoarsely.

It speaks to how much Mike trusts Harvey now – when they first met, Mike would have balked like a horse being broken at even having the gift _suggested_. Mike knows, however, that Harvey would die for him … he nearly did, after all. He knows his alpha would never take him anywhere that will be humiliating or dangerous. If either situation arises, he knows Harvey will be the first one dragging Mike out the front door. So Harvey’s gift makes him feel desired in a way he never believed he could be … he grins at Harvey.

“Is there a muzzle?”

Harvey blinks in surprise. He thought Mike would enjoy the gift … he wasn’t expecting his omega to take it any farther. He huffs a laugh. “Look at you, all excited to play. I’m sure I can have one made but a muzzle implies you need help staying quiet …” Harvey leans in and breaths over Mike’s neck. “And I know my omega is just about perfect when he wants to be … speaking only when spoken to … kneeling beside his alpha … “

Mike’s eyes flutter as his body shivers with anticipation. He loves Harvey and he loves the way his alpha knows just how to drive him into a state of near-bliss just with his words. “Your … omega …” Mike murmurs, his body and scent displaying his arousal very plainly.

Harvey makes an agreeing sound. “Mine … all mine … all those alphas can look but you’re all mine, Mike …”

Harvey finds reason to enjoy Mike being naked ... they have time before dinner.

* * *

Later, cleaned up again, Mike stands still while Harvey fastens the leash to the collar. Mike’s metal collar will remain behind for tonight.  Harvey feels a surge of pride at Mike's eagerness.  His omega doesn't even think twice about the scars that cover his body ... Harvey has worked tirelessly over the past two years to help his omega disregard them save for the one on his forearm given by his alpha.  Mike believes Harvey when his alpha tells him he's gorgeous.  And should he ever doubt it, Harvey is more than ready to refresh the lesson. He smiles at his omega.

“Ready for this, handsome?” Harvey asks.

In response, Mike sinks to his knees; head down and one hand holding the leash up for his alpha.  Harvey's growl of approval at his good omega reverberates through them both.


	2. It Might Burst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I've said many times on other fics ... the story will go where it wants to and sometimes that is a complete left turn from the direction it was headed. After multiple re-writes, this just sort of happened this morning. Warnings: buckle up because it looks to be a bumpy ride.

“ _MIKE!”_ Harvey screams, sitting straight up in bed.

He shakes as the last dregs of the dream fade and reality comes back. The alpha looks at the cool, empty sheets beside him. The place where his omega would be sleeping if things were the way they were supposed to be … instead of this nightmare he’s living.

The night at the club had been perfect. Until Logan Sanders appeared, fawning over Mike like he had any right whatsoever to touch Harvey’s omega. As he’s done for sixteen months now, Harvey replays the night’s events over in his head and tries to find some way that he could have acted differently. He tries to find some moment where everything would have changed and he wouldn’t have lost his temper. He never finds the moment.

Logan Sanders was an operative legacy following in the footsteps of dear old dad.  His methods were brutal and unpolished but he got the job done and so Harvey endured his presence when necessary.  Logan was disavowed when his collateral damage included the daughter of the senator they were supposed to protect.  He blamed Harvey but in the end there was little he could do.  Until Logan decided he wanted Mike. 

It was ludicrous really ... Harvey's claim was absolute.  Nevermind that Mike was not interested _at all_.  Logan refused to believe that and the night of their dinner, he dared to press his luck.  Harvey tried to be polite. He tried to be civilized, but in the end he could not – Logan’s hand found its way into Mike’s hair and Harvey promptly broke it. He apologized to the owner of the club and left immediately after, Mike following in a confused daze.

Nine days later, Mike had been abducted while having lunch with Rachel. Classic Logan, he’d left bodies all over the restaurant … one of them nearly Rachel herself but she'd eventually recovered.  But Mike was gone.  Abducted and taken to a place that created perfect omegas for alphas with far too much time, entitlement and money. Abducted and lost to Harvey for sixteen months … sixteen months of Hell for both of them.  Today, that would end one way or another.

Running his hand over his face, Harvey gets out of bed. He drags himself into the shower and dresses slowly. Nothing feels right … normally silken fabrics feel like sandpaper. He has a hard time with scents nowadays because all he wants is the familiar sweet latte smell of his omega, Mike. Anything else tends to make him queasy. As he straps down a sheath on his forearm and slides the blade home, Harvey sees a box on the shelf of his closet. Mentally he chides himself for doing this to himself but he can’t seem to stop picking it up off the shelf and opening it.

He runs his fingertips over the smooth metal. His omega’s collar. _Mike_ ’s collar. His fingers find the twisted and jagged edges where it was cut off Mike's neck and left behind.  Harvey swallows hard repeatedly, trying to get the baseball in his throat to go down. He closes the box and turns away, fighting the grief that threatens to overwhelm him. He’s Harvey Specter. He’s a legend in his field of ‘work’ and he isn’t afraid of anyone or anything but this -- losing Mike like this is like walking through all the levels of Hell over and over again every day.

His phone rings and he walks out to answer it, grateful for the distraction. It’s Donna.

“I’m downstairs with Ray … are you ready?” she asks.

“I will be … give me five,” Harvey replies.

“Are you sure you want to be there, Harvey? I can –“ Donna begins.

“He’s my omega, Donna … I’m going to be there,” Harvey growls.

“Alright then,” Donna replies.

* * *

Moments later, Harvey strides out of the warehouse he's lived and trained in since Mike was taken.  It's basically a warroom, maps and other data taped to every surface ... they were able to find Mike but not Logan.  Harvey knows that he will find the other alpha.  He will make the man pay for every moment of pain and fear his omega has suffered.  And then he will kill Logan Sanders.

Harvey gets in the car and looks out the window. Donna says nothing, just taps away on her phone. Harvey reaches over and takes her hand while continuing to stare out the window. Donna squeezes lightly. She knows Harvey is about as stressed as the alpha has ever been … they all know it’s a wonder he hasn’t snapped prior to this day.

They pull up in front of a non-descript office building and go inside. Ray waits with the car as always. Inside, past the fake lobby, the décor becomes decidedly more clinical and Spartan. White walls, white tiled floors, crisp white lighting. It’s quite the sterile look, Harvey decides. He doesn’t care. All his focus is narrowing to one room. They are led to it by a young man in a lab coat and they enter silently.

On either side of the room are large tanks filled with a champagne colored liquid. In each tank floats a person … an omega to be precise. They each wear a full body black suit that completely obscures their identity. Tubes leading from the suit manage oxygen, waste and nourishment. None of the figures move. They cannot see, hear or feel … it’s a perfect sensory deprivation arrangement.

Another tank has been moved from the rows to a room with windows all around. Harvey stands at one of the windows and just looks at the figure inside the tank. Unlike the others, this omega moves and the suit has been removed to reveal a very male body. He wears a hood obscuring his sight but he can hear the muffled sounds outside the tank. The hesitant movements are in response to those sounds. Harvey was notified the moment the suit was removed. He’d know the pale body floating in the gel anywhere on the planet. It’s Mike. He can see his own bite on the omega’s arm. He recognizes each and every scar and its location – his omega is going to be released from his prison today. Harvey only hopes that it won’t be like all the others. He glances back at the long rows of tanks left to be decanted. He closes his eyes and prays that it won’t be like some of the ones that were released before now.

* * *

Omegas are inherently tactile. It’s part of their biology … omegas need to be touched. It’s why they build nests; they need the feeling of safety. Harvey remembers Mike’s need vividly. After his past with being in the sex trade, he was rarely far from Harvey and almost always in physical contact whenever they were together.  His omega needed gentle, loving touches to remind him that he was more than just what his body was capable of -- and Harvey was glad to provide that contact.  The tanks behind him strip an omega of that ability. The tank and suit trap them in a world devoid of touch, sound, sight, taste and – worst of all – scent. An omega in that circumstance can do little more than suffer immensely until they stress themselves to death – Harvey saw the shallow graves at the hellhole where they located the tanks.

The ones that survive long enough fall into an blank mental state … unable to connect with their environment, the omegas withdraw into their own minds. Left like that, they either lose their minds completely or become the perfect blank slates for an alpha to mold however they want them. It’s something Harvey has learned rich alphas will pay a king’s ransom for – he wants to tear the throats out of every alpha who ever did this to an omega.  It's horrific and unforgivable.

Harvey watched the decanting of the first few omegas … the process must be done slowly and in stages.  Mike's been decanting for weeks now but today is the final step. Mike’s hood will be removed and the tube that holds his vocal cords silent will be taken out. Harvey will be allowed to be in the room only if Mike proves non-violent but the omega's been sedated to help ease the process.

“Alpha Specter, we’re ready to begin,” one of the lab coats says.

Harvey nods and Donna squeezes his hand tightly. A larger tube has been attached to the back of the tank and the liquid slowly drains out. Mike lowers until he’s standing on the bottom of the tank. This causes some jerky movements but they stop after a moment. As the gel slides out, Mike gradually kneels and then slumps over on his side, curled into the fetal position. Harvey’s palms are flat on the glass as he watches the techs surround his omega once the gel is gone and the tank’s walls removed. Mike shakes violently as the tube silencing him is removed. He’s making sounds that aren’t understandable but they sound distressed. Harvey heard other omegas make the same noises. The lights in the room dim and the hood is removed.

Mike’s response is quick and violent. He explodes out of his curl and throws himself away from the techs. The floor is textured to prevent slipping but Mike jerks his body violently in several different directions trying to find someplace where he isn’t touching something. He fails and that sends him scrambling for the far wall. Once there, Mike presses himself against the surface and snarls at the techs that are moving slowly and saying soothing things. Mike claps his hands over his ears then over his eyes … it’s all too much and Harvey shakes watching it.

“Please, Mikey … please calm down … please babe … please …” Harvey whispers.

Mike slides down the wall, his muscles spastically rippling  and jerking. He folds in on himself and begins making a high-pitched keening sound. Harvey breaks.  He runs for the door, unable to ignore the sound of his omega in distress. Donna races after Harvey, calling his name and trying to stop him, but Harvey will not be stopped. He pushes past the techs, growling savagely. He watched other alphas react the same way and promised himself he wouldn’t give in … but the sound coming from Mike is too much. His primal instincts are bellowing at him to protect his omega … his omega is hurt and _must_ be comforted. Harvey lays one hand on Mike’s trembling shoulder and falls back in shock when the keening turns into an outright scream.

Mike’s pale blue eyes are wide with terror and he is all but trying to become part of the wall behind him. Harvey sees no recognition in the gaze he's waited so long to see again … Mike does not recognize where he is nor does he recognize Harvey - to him it’s all just a waking nightmare.

Harvey presses the back of his hand to his mouth trying to hold back the pain but the sobs just leak out. Donna is suddenly there and she holds him as tears spill down his face. Harvey Specter is not one to show emotion but his heart is in pieces as the lab coats tranq Mike and carry the limp omega out of the room.  Harvey knows he's not the first alpha to wail in the room … and based on the tanks lined up outside, he won’t be the last.


	3. Could We Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two, these two ... I never really know where I'm going with them. I hope you enjoy.

Harvey watches Mike looking out the window of his room. The ice blue eyes take in every detail and Harvey knows it’s all being filed away in Mike’s magnificent brain. Harvey is sitting where he’s been for the past three months, two weeks and four days – on a well-cushioned leather chair with an ottoman in the corner of Mike’s room. A small table beside the chair holds a coffee cup, a tablet, Harvey’s cell phone and a file folder. Harvey wears soft, worn jeans and a Harvard athletics t-shirt along with his favorite pair of trainers. He hasn’t put on a suit since Mike decanted.

Donna manages the miscellaneous details of his life outside this medical complex – the life Harvey refuses to go back to unless Mike is with him. He consults on various jobs but he’s moved into an efficiency apartment just down the block from the complex. He walks home every night when Mike falls asleep and back first thing every morning. Jessica is less than pleased and Harvey wonders if he’ll even be employed before long but he really doesn’t care. Mike came into his life in sudden violence and since then, Harvey hasn’t felt complete except for the time they spend together. The waking nightmare he’s living now is at least better than the agony of the months Mike was locked away in the tank and far better than the Hell of Mike being gone altogether. Harvey’s discovered that he’s Humpty Dumpty. An omega broke his carefully crafted hard shell and no matter how he tries, he can’t put himself back together again until Mike is at his side.

Mike spent a long few weeks in a specially designed hammock suspended over his bed. Specially designed straps cradled the omega in a way meant to mimic the weightlessness of the tank with as little external sensation as possible. No one but the medical staff was allowed into the room and Harvey was hard pressed to keep himself sane during those weeks. His mate never moved. He reacted sometimes to being touched with gloved hands but it was barely perceptible. Harvey watched from an observation window while his mate lay motionless in his cradle. The lack of movement had deeply unnerved the alpha and it still does because while he at least moves, when he stops it’s a complete stillness like this.

Mike, in that before life that seems like a dream, was _rarely_ still. He seemed to always be in motion physically and mentally. Even sleeping, Mike mostly snuggled but he also changed position several times a night. Harvey grew used to it and eventually it stopped waking him up unless he sensed Mike was having a nightmare. Awake, Mike tapped pens, bounced his leg, and played catch with a racquetball or fifteen thousand other things without even realizing he did it. Harvey even recalls the little sound effects Mike made while he reviewed files. He was always shushing his omega then … but without Mike in their home; the silence had been enough to reduce Harvey to tears more than once during their long separation. He keeps the news channel on for noise when he’s in his apartment. Harvey tried listening to his blues records but the first time he looked over to remark to Mike about the sax the absence of his beloved omega drove him into a rage. He broke the record into several pieces and threw the player across the room before sobbing himself to sleep on the living room floor.

The Mike that he’s watching now … so much is different, Harvey’s instincts are struggling. Mike’s scent is gone for one. Standing beside his omega while Mike was still unconscious, Harvey tried repeatedly to catch a whiff of the sweet latte smell but it simply wasn’t there. The lab techs explained that omegas put through this ‘cleansing’ process lose their scent. A new one would develop for the new alpha, usually a variation on the new mate. Harvey growls softly just remembering that conversation.

Mike turns slightly at the sound and Harvey closes his eyes before mentally cursing himself. He’s been warned to keep all sounds soft and non-threatening. Alpha growls are meant for two things: warning and arousal. Neither is probably non-threatening to an omega that’s been tortured half out of his mind.

Harvey opens his eyes slowly, afraid he’s going to see Mike shaking in fear or retreating into that zombie-like expression. He freezes when he realizes Mike is looking directly at him. He stares back, his heart pounding in his chest. Mike’s face is blank, he just looks at Harvey. In itself, it’s progress…Mike never looks at anyone. He lets himself be moved around, dressed and guided but he never looks up.

Mike looks for a moment longer, then turns back to the window and the moment is over. Harvey saw nothing in the pale eyes that indicated Mike knew him. Harvey slowly lets out the breath he was holding, gets up and exits the room as quietly as he can. Outside, he slides down the wall, presses his fisted hands to his eyes and shakes.

“It’s a good sign.”

Harvey looks up to see the doctor assigned to Mike standing near him. He chuckles flatly and wipes his eyes before standing.

“Then why do I feel like someone just pulled out my lungs?” Harvey asks hoarsely.

The doctor smiles knowingly. “That’s a good sign too, believe it or not. For all our scientific advances, we still don’t completely understand the chemical bonds that form between two individuals in an alpha/omega mating. Mike is still your omega.”

“He doesn’t smell like my omega. He doesn’t even act like he knows who the hell I am,” Harvey says tiredly. “I don’t – I _won’t_ give up on him, but God it’s hard.”

The doctor nods understandingly.

“One day at a time, Harvey. I wish I could tell you more but let’s just keep to our routine.”

He looks at Mike’s chart on his tablet and enters the room. Harvey follows but doesn’t approach Mike any closer than the chair he sits on every day. A nurse comes in and together, she and the doctor get Mike to sit on the end of the bed. The omega complies easily and simply looks out the window while they take his vitals.

When they’re done, the nurse gently takes Mike’s arm and turns him to the door. Mike complies, head down as he moves slowly beside the woman. It’s time for lunch.

Harvey stands to one side and waits. He uses the time while Mike eats to catch up on phone calls and let Donna know the daily status. Sometimes he goes for a run. He watches as Mike reaches the door and suddenly stops. Harvey frowns. Mike’s days consist of routine, steady and unwavering. It doesn’t include stopping of his own volition. The nurse tries to urge him forward but Mike won’t move. Harvey feels his chest grow tight as Mike turns slightly and looks up.

Pale blue eyes focus for the first time in what feels like an eternity to Harvey. A frown creases Mike’s forehead. Harvey feels like he’s going to suffocate because he can’t pull in a complete breath. Mike’s eyes are _seeing_ him … they might not recognize him but they are aware he’s there. Harvey nearly falls down when Mike takes a slow step toward him. He holds his ground but it’s hard and the irony that an omega has reduced an alpha specifically trained to kill men to a near-cowering mess does not escape Harvey.

Mike moves forward until he’s directly in front of Harvey. He’s still frowning as if he’s trying to figure out what he’s looking at – or who. Harvey is fighting down tears because he doesn’t know if he can bear it much longer. Mike isn’t completely back but this is more life than he’s shown in months. Harvey lips are pressed tightly together as he fights displaying his emotions. When he feels himself slipping as Mike just keeps looking at him, Harvey bites down on his lower lip, using the pain to center himself a little.

Mike’s frown suddenly deepens and he reaches up with a slender, pale hand but stops himself before he actually touches Harvey.

_“no”_

It’s like a scratchy record with the volume turned almost all the way down. Harvey barks out a near-hysterical laugh before clapping his hand over his mouth. Mike startles at the loud sound and Harvey shakes his head, giving up on holding the tears back.

“Please don’t go,” Harvey whispers.

Mike, who’d started to close off and drop his eyes, looks up. His gaze is taking on the slightly out of focus look but then it stops. Mike meets Harvey’s eyes and he cocks his head to one side.

_“ok”_

* * *

Donna squeaks and doesn’t bother holding back her tears when she gets a text later that night. She runs to show Rachel and they hold each other, crying.

***my boy came for a visit today***


	4. Leading to This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A brief interlude with a few happy moments.

Mike shivers in the cool morning air but he shakes his head at the offered hoodie. His feet are bare and he’s only in jeans and t-shirt, but Harvey doesn’t stop his omega from walking out onto the grass of the courtyard.  Scattered around them are other couples, alphas and omegas going through the exact same process – Harvey smiles to himself. _Graduated reintroduction of tactile sensation_.  He sighs and Mike glances back at him.

“You’re ok, Mike … I’m just thinking,” Harvey assures the omega.

Mike nods absently, his mind already lost on something else. Harvey hates the feeling of being dismissed by the omega, but he knows it’s not intentional.  Mike is emerging again into a world of sensation – sound, taste, touch, sight and scent.  He can only take so much in at a time and conversation hasn’t worked its way up the priority list.  Harvey watches as Mike smiles down at his feet, toes curling in the soft, slightly damp grass.  He waits for Mike to move when it dawns on him the omega is looking at him.

“What, Mike? Something wrong?” Harvey asks, concerned.

Mike’s eyes narrow with the almost smile he gives these days when he’s amused. He shakes his head and looks down at Harvey’s feet, enclosed in trainers.

“What? You don’t like them?”

Mike huffs out a frustrated breath. He looks at his own feet and then back at Harvey’s.  The alpha frowns.

“You want me to take off my shoes?”

Mike nods. Harvey rolls his eyes.  “God, I’m glad Donna can’t see me.”

Harvey doesn’t deny Mike much -- walking barefoot in the grass is doable. He toes off his shoes and then takes off his socks, rolling them up neatly to tuck into the shoe.  Mike stands and watches for a moment but then an ant walks across his toes and his attention is gone.  Harvey watches that for a moment.  Every omega that’s survived this long is hyper-aware of their surroundings.  They get distracted by the smallest thing … part of the reintroduction phase is to let them learn to filter again.  Harvey finds himself fascinated by the things that Mike discovers every day but at the same time, he deeply misses the conversations they used to have about things.  Debates over movies, sports, and politics … even the dumb stuff like which superhero or villain would win in a fight.  He took so much of it for granted and he wants it back desperately.  The thing that haunts him at night is that he might never have it again.  Mike’s senses are coming back slowly but he doesn’t talk much and he treats Harvey as just someone he recognizes because the alpha is there every day.  He doesn’t seem to know they were once so much more to each other and Harvey’s heart breaks a little every day over that.

Mike looks over when Harvey stands beside him, feet pale and bare in the grass. The alpha tilts his head back and he breathes in deeply while letting the morning sun warm his face.  Mike cocks his head to one side and then walks over to Harvey.  He inhales deeply.  Harvey stands frozen, too afraid to move and break the moment.  Mike’s kept his distance until now and he doesn't know what the omega is doing.

Mike sniffs his own shirt and then frowns. He pulls his shirt off and Harvey swallows hard when Mike drops it to the ground and looks pointedly at Harvey’s.

“You … you want my shirt?” Harvey asks hoarsely.

Mike nods. Harvey wastes no time in pulling it off and handing it to the omega.  Mike pulls it on and sniffs the sleeve.  He gives a slight nod, and then turns to walk back into the building.  Harvey follows him in a daze.  Leave it to Mike to take what Harvey thinks to be true and turn it on its head.

* * *

Harvey sits in Jessica’s office wearing a suit for the first time in months. He’s tense and angry.

“Harvey, I don’t find your attitude acceptable in the least,” Jessica says smoothly.

Harvey snorts.

“ _Acceptable?_ Well, I don’t find you trying to pull me off finding Mike’s abductor very _acceptable_ ,” Harvey snaps.

Jessica purses her lips. “Your job is not to chase after Logan Sanders.  Your job is whatever the Powers-That-Be decide it is and they want you in Europe tonight.”

“Mike is my omega … I can’t just leave …”

“And yet I leave Jeff all the time to perform _my_ job,” Jessica inserts smugly.

Harvey’s eyes narrow. “Jeff is a _beta_ … it’s hardly the same thing.”

Betas don’t feel the same agonizing pull to be with their alphas and Jessica knows this. He watches her steeple her fingers for a moment before meeting his eyes.

“Harvey, I questioned your choice in mating Mike but you’ve always proven yourself capable. This recent turn of events is unfortunate but it is what it is … Logan Sanders _will_ be run to ground and we _will_ see that he is prosecuted for his part in this trafficking ring,” Jessica sighs.  “If you choose to disobey orders … you’ll be on your own going after Sanders. 

Harvey growls in spite of himself. He can’t help it.  Mike’s progress over the past few months has been spectacular but Harvey doesn’t want to be overseas while Mike is still struggling to find his way. 

“It’s a simple assignment, Harvey. You can do it in your sleep,” Jessica says, ignoring his disapproval of the entire idea.

“I don’t really care, assign me something close to home,” Harvey snaps. “I’ve earned that, Jessica.  I’m your best –“

“You’ve _earned_ it?  Harvey, you were the best and then you met Mike.  Your focus on that omega has colored every mission you’ve taken since then.  And yes, his tactical detail skill helped us in missions but we were already managing just fine without him.  And we have managed just find since he’s been gone,” Jessica says warningly.  “He took your edge.”

Harvey’s temper is thin and he’s fighting to keep it in control. “My edge?  I was never as precise as I was since I met Mike and you know it.  I just wasn’t so easy for you to order around because I had an omega to consider.  Mike’s an asset.”

“ _Was_ an asset, Harvey.  Right now, he’s a liability because your focus is _there_ , not _here_ … not on your _job_ ,” Jessica says flatly.

Harvey stands. “If I don’t take the assignment?”

“Consider it your resignation.”

“Fine.” He turns to walk out.

“Harvey!”

Harvey turns from the door. “You’re right … I gave everything to you, Jessica because I wanted this more than anything.  I don’t anymore.  I want Mike.”

Harvey leaves, walking down the halls he once adored. He feels lighter.  He stops by Donna’s desk.  She hands him a letter and he chuckles.

“You knew, huh?” Harvey asks as he signs his resignation.

Donna rolls her eyes. “From the first minute I saw you with him … go see your boy.”

“I have to …”

“Return all company assets? Done.  Move out of any company residences?  Done.  Company affiliated expense accounts, cancelled; network access, cancelled … Ray will drive you back to the complex and I need your phone,” Donna responds primly.

Harvey hands over his phone with a laugh. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Oh I’m not going anywhere,” Donna says with a roll of her eyes. “I resigned five minutes ago while you were whining about all the things you supposedly have to do.  So did Rachel, so did Ray.  You’ll be moved into the new space this afternoon and your apartment has already been leased out.”

Harvey gapes at her then moves around her desk to pull her up and dip her back for a kiss. Donna laughs but Harvey presses their foreheads together before releasing her.

“Thank you … where would I be without you?”

“Probably mated to Scottie and pining after a certain omega with blue eyes,” Donna teases gently. “Get back over there.  He probably misses you by now.”

Harvey nods and, with his usual stern professionalism, walks out of the building that’s been his second home for most of his life. He doesn’t look back.


	5. All I've Done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short interlude ...

Harvey brushes down the sleeves of his suit and steps out of the car. Inside the restaurant, Harvey is greeted by the owner and led to a private table in the back. The silver-haired man seated there nods and gestures at the other chair. Harvey sits down and waits for the waiter to bring him a scotch. Harvey declines a menu, preferring to complete his business quickly.

“Harvey, I won’t beat around the bush with you,” the man says. “Your little crusade is getting tiresome. You have the omega back, why do you insist on locating my son?”

Harvey sips his drink and smiles across the table at Max Sanders. His eyes are cold and hold no humor.

“I have my _mate_ back, Max,” Harvey corrects.

Max’s eyebrow arches upward. “Logan indicated –“

Harvey spears Sanders with a look that silences the excuse. He finishes his drink and motions for another. Max purses his lips and looks thoughtfully at his glass of wine.

“Harvey … he’s my _son_.”

Harvey nods and throws back his new drink.

“Logan’s a smart kid, Max. He got the job done but he was always careless about how he did it – which is why he was discharged,” Harvey says, pushing a small data card across to Sanders. “You can play ignorant if you want but that card has Logan’s trail on it. A trail that a low-level omega research assistant discovered,” Harvey says, enjoying the memory of Rachel running into his office fit to burst with what she’d located. “She basically Googled your boy’s name and up came all the financial transactions between him and the company that procures the ‘blank’ omegas for the highest bidder. Like I said … careless.”

“All this for an omega, Harvey?” Max sighs, tucking the chip in his suit pocket. “I never would have thought you’d be so sentimental.”

“Again, Mike is more than ‘just an omega’, Max. He’s my _Mate_. My collar was on his neck and my bite is on his body,” Harvey replies.

“And I’m sorry about his rather rough treatment, but the fact remains that Logan is still my only son, whereas your omega is one of several million,” Max says.

Harvey blinks several times as he looks at the lights glinting off the silverware. He thinks about the heavy crystal glass in his fingers and he knows he could easily kill the man with it. He chuckles lightly but when his eyes meet Max’s, they hold a darkness that makes even the experienced older man shiver.

“Logan’s behavior chose his consequences, Max,” Harvey says, standing. He throws down a few large bills. “Let me get dinner and recommend Fisher and Sons.”

“Who?” Max asks, uneasy about Harvey’s calm demeanor.

“Fisher & Sons … funeral home. Let me tell you, Rico is a _genius_. You’ll hardly be able to tell the difference.”

Harvey turns and leaves. He already knows where Logan is and he knows that even as he’s walking out the front door, Max Sanders is calling his son. He knows that by tomorrow morning he will most likely have a price on his head. Harvey smiles and climbs into his car, Ray at the wheel.

“Success, Harvey?”

Harvey shrugs. “It went like I expected … everything ready?”

Ray snorts. “You wound me, Harvey. Everything is exactly where it should be.”

Harvey nods and looks out at the night. He thinks about Mike mostly. He thinks about the ice-blue eyes. He thinks about the thin lips, the messy dark blonde hair, the strong lean body covered in scars Harvey doesn’t see anymore … he sees his omega in his mind’s eye and he mentally whispers, “I love you.”

* * *

Across the city, Mike stares out his window and frowns.

“… _alpha_ _…?”_


	6. Leading to This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fought me. Logan meets his fate. Enjoy.

Harvey pulls his long coat around him a little tighter.  He watches as a sexy redhead saunters past the block-long line of people waiting for entrance.  She smiles at the bouncer and flashes huge doe eyes – Harvey can almost picture the fluttering eyelashes.  The man at the door seems to actually stop breathing for a moment and he has a dazed look on his face when he raises the velvet rope to let the woman into the club.  Voices go up in protest from the line but the bouncer ignores them with a grin as he resettles into his post. 

Harvey smiles.  It’s been years, but he was once on the receiving end of those lovely eyes and that devastating smile.  He knows the lines of that amazing body quite well, thank you very much – but it’s just a fond memory now for both of them.  Rachel is all Donna every wanted in a mate and Harvey … well, tonight is enough to prove how much Mike means to him.  Tonight Harvey intends to exact payment for what Logan Sanders did to his precious mate and best friend. 

Another wave of dissent rises from the crowd waiting for entrance and Harvey’s attention refocuses on the club.  He hates dance clubs – too many conflicting scents and music far too loud overwhelm his senses and tend to leave him hyper-vigilant which is not a fun way to spend an evening.  Harvey remembers how thrilled he was to learn Mike was perfectly alright with the jazz/blues clubs Harvey loved instead.  He growls softly to himself at the memory.

_Soon, handsome,_ Harvey silently promises his omega.

The door opens to admit a few couples back out onto the street and Harvey winces at the thumping bass.  He glances at his watch.  He knows Logan’s people are probably watching him now … he’s not bothering to hide.  He wants Logan to know he’s outside.  He wants Logan to know that he’s finally come for his revenge.  Harvey has watched the tapes of Mike’s submersion into the sensory deprivation tank.  He sobbed the length of the video but he forced himself to watch and let the image of his omega’s struggle to escape burn itself into his brain.  The mask covering Mike’s face stretched periodically as the young man screamed silently.  When the fight finally died and Mike retreated into his own brain, Harvey felt wrung out and colorless.  It was like watching Mike die.

The other omega files indicated that the surrender times varied from a few hours to days.  The omegas that are recovering now are the ones that took the longest to break.  Mike took seventeen days to surrender … to finally stop fighting and go unnaturally still in the suspension gel.  His neural activity monitors went from nearly constant motion to practically flat line in an instant.  Harvey rewound and watched that moment repeatedly.  It lies just at the edge of his thoughts now, keeping his focus sharp.

The door slams open again only this time there is no bass beat.  Instead, a high-pitched wail warbles out into the night air cushioned on the screams of patrons suddenly seeking a way out of the building.  Harvey smiles slightly and strolls across the street, horns blaring around him as cars are forced to stop for the fleeing clubbies.  In the distance he can hear the sound of sirens – approaching police or perhaps fire trucks.

Harvey knows he could go into the club by the front door if he navigated the outflow of bodies.  Logan knows this distraction technique.  Instead, he moves quickly among the men and women pushing past him and ends up next to the building.  He stays pressed against the bricks and moves around the corner of the club into the alley.  Harvey looks straight up and sees several climbing pitons conveniently set into the wall of the building.  He jumps straight up and grabs the first one that’s several feet off the ground to avoid notice.  He scales the side of the building quickly after that, reaching the roof and avoiding the security camera by staying just within its blind spot.  He smiles.  The fire alarm has pulled off all but one of the snipers that were on the roof and he’s looking the wrong direction.  Harvey moves quickly and snaps the man’s neck.  He takes the headset the man wears and listens to the orders being barked out.  He needs to get off the roof and into the building proper. 

The roof access door is electronically locked.  Harvey’s team prepared him for this but he doesn’t stifle a laugh when he notices that the door’s been propped open with a piece of brick.  He smirks.  Even the best security systems in the world can’t account for human laziness.

Slipping in, Harvey makes his way quickly down the stairwell and enters the floor Logan’s on … he hears the man calling out over the security channel.

_“I don’t give a fuck!  He’s in the building, do you hear me?  He’s in the fucking building_ !”

Harvey finds himself smiling even as he walks briskly down the hallway.  He hears the fire alarm go silent and knows they’ve figured out the diversion Donna created.

Harvey hears a door burst open around the corner at the end of the hall and two men race out only to pull up short when they spot Harvey.  He smiles and shrugs before engaging in a short gunfight.

Stepping over the bodies, Harvey enters the office and is immediately dodging gunfire from Logan.  He dives to cover and comes up firing. 

“All this for a fucking _omega_ , Harvey?” Logan yells. 

Harvey slaps a new magazine home.  “ _Mate_ , Logan … you keep forgetting that part!”

“You could have found a new one!”

Harvey doesn’t bother answering.  Mike is everything to him and someone like Logan will never understand that.  He’s angry though and his timing is off when he raises up to fire.  The bullet that hits his shoulder reminds him of the necessity of keeping one’s cool under fire.  He berates himself and uses his tie to create a makeshift tourniquet.

“What if you kill me, Harvey?  My father will never forgive you – he’ll hunt you down like a dog,” Logan says.

“You’re out of ammo, Logan … or did you save a bullet for yourself?”

Logan laughs.  “Now why would I kill myself, Harvey?  I’ve got a building _full_ of men all loyal to me … all ready to take you down.  I have too much to live for – mostly the thought of taking that sweet little omega of yours once you’re dead and cold.”

Harvey growls.  “Why Mike?”

It’s something Harvey wants to know – was it simply because Mike belonged to Harvey?  Or was there truly an attraction on Logan’s behalf?

Logan laughs again, like he’s in on a joke.  “Harvey, Harvey, Harvey … that little precious of yours never told you?  OH that’s rich … that’s just awesome!”

Harvey frowns.  Logan chuckles.  “I’ve known your little boy, Harvey.  Why, back in the day I used to fuck that sweet ass of his until he couldn’t walk!”

Harvey clenches his jaw tightly.  Mike’s previous life as a prostitute is no secret to Harvey … he knows full-well that his omega was no virgin when they found one another.  It never mattered and it took Harvey a long time to convince Mike of that fact.  It stings that Mike never mentioned Logan and Harvey wonders how many other alphas he knows have been with his omega.  Harvey pushes the idle thought away because he realizes he truly doesn’t care.  He guesses Mike felt humiliated and afraid that Harvey would leave him.  Harvey smiles to himself … he’s learned a lot about how he feels about Mike and what keeps bubbling to the surface is a love so overwhelming he can barely believe it.  The past year and a half have taught Harvey that he will do anything to have his Mike back.  He wants those ice blue eyes look at him with love and adoration.  He wants Mike to truly SEE him again. 

But even if that never happens, Harvey has known that all-consuming love is possible because of Mike.  He's a better man for it.  Someone like Logan can't be allowed to destroy that for anyone else.

"That all you got Sanders?” Harvey taunts.  “Mike didn’t want you then, he certainly didn’t want you now so you thought you'd destroy everything he is and recreate him in your image?  Now who's got the obsession?"  Harvey chuckles and parrots Logan.  "After all, he's _just_ an omega."

“A knot-slut that snagged the great and wonderful Harvey Specter is what he is … I wiped him clean and if you hadn’t interfered, I would have made him into something _spectacular_ ,” Logan boasted.

Glancing down at the display on his smartwatch, Harvey’s decides he’s done.  “He’s already spectacular, Logan.”

Harvey surges out of his cover.  Logan meets him halfway and they fight, but Harvey’s always been better than Logan.  The younger man struggles to block Harvey’s attacks but he loses ground quickly and when he steps off-balance, Harvey kicks his legs out from under him and pins the other alpha to the floor, blade to the man’s throat.

Harvey’s lips curl into a snarl.  He sees the telltale red at the edges of his vision that signal an alpha rage onset … he fights to control himself because if he gives in, he’ll tear Logan to shreds.  He has a sudden vision of Mike rolling over and smiling at him one morning just as the sun lit up their bedroom.  He remembers making love to his omega but mostly he remembers how his heart skipped at beat the sight of the wonderful creature in his arms looking at him with such trust that had seared the moment into his brain.  He sees all the possibilities in that face.  Love.  Home.  Family.  His expression shifts as his alpha nature calms.

“Mike … lowly omega that you think he is … is a better man than you or me, Logan.  He’d let you go.  I won’t.”

“Then do it,” Logan croaks.  “Cut my throat and get it over with … my father will never let you live.”

Harvey’s smile is cold and knowing.  “Oh, I don’t intend on killing you, Logan … I’ve got something much more fitting in mind.  Are you guys ready?”

“Of course,” Donna’s voice emerges from Harvey’s watch.  “Bring the bastard on down.”

Logan smiles.  “And do you really think I’ll be that easy to take, Harvey?”

Harvey smiles back.  “And do you really think I’m stupid enough not to bring back up, Logan?”

Operatives begin to file into the office.  Louis Litt and Jeff Malone are at Harvey’s side first.  The others stand by waiting quietly.  Logan squints at them.

“What the fu—you work for me!”

Harvey laughs.  “Logan, Logan, Logan … you never did listen when I warned you about your consistently high collateral damage.  You don’t bother to scope your locations _ever_ so of course you missed that Mike and Rachael were having lunch amongst several of your former comrades and their families.  And you left that restaurant a _mess_ , Logan.  All to get to my omega … but you didn’t bother to check on the non-combatants you injured.  And you never bothered to vet your new security team members because you think you’ve got such fucking good instincts.  Guess what?  You were a fuck-up in the business before and you’re a fuck-up now.”

Logan is hauled to his feet with several weapons trained on him.  He stumbles down the steps, falling at one point.  He glares at Louis but is jerked upright without mercy.  He is blindfolded and shoved into an SUV parked behind the club.  He sees red and blue lights but Harvey is there with his blade on his throat.

“Don’t.  You won't get off that easy.”

* * *

Logan tries to school his face into an unreadable mask, but as Harvey keeps silent, the alpha’s mind begins to twist.  He tries to follow the path of the SUV but it was never a skill he perfected.  When they finally stop, Logan strains his ears to hear anything that might help him identify the location.  He hears an echo as he’s led out of the vehicle, telling him he’s in a warehouse.  The blindfold is pulled off and Logan blinks in the harsh overhead lighting.  He snorts.

“Little cliché, don’t you think, Harvey?” Logan jests.

“More like … poetic justice,” Harvey says softly.

Logan frowns and looks around.  When his eyes fall on a tall glass tank filled with champagne colored liquid, all the blood drains out of his face.  Louis and Jeff have a strong hold on him but he balks fiercely.  Even the guns trained on him don’t force him to calm.

“No!  No you can’t!  It won’t work on alphas!” Logan screams.

Harvey walks up to Logan and grabs the man’s chin, forcing him to look in Harvey’s eyes.  “I don’t give a fuck if it leaves you a drooling turnip for the rest of your days, Logan.  You will know _exactly_ what you put Mike through.  You fucked with the wrong omega.”

“My father will kill you for this,” Logan spits.

“Now _that_ I can say is untrue,” a cheerful voice says. 

Harvey releases Logan and steps back as they watch another man walk up.  He’s dressed in a very expensive casual suit and he looks Logan up and down with a sneer.

“Who the hell are you?”

The man moves lightning quick, his fist meeting Logan’s face with a terrible crunch.  Sanders barks out a sharp cry as the man pulls out his handkerchief and wipes off his knuckles.

“You better mind your _manners_ around me, boy,” the very obvious alpha growls.  “You want to know who I am?  Robert Zane.  Mate to Laura Zane and father to Rachael Zane.  The same Rachel Zane that was eating at the same table as Specter’s omega.”

Robert jerks Logan’s head upright by his chin, ignoring the groan of pain.  “You put my baby girl in the hospital, you twisted fuck.  You nearly took her from her mother, her father and her mate.”  Robert studies the bleeding face.  “Your father and I go way back.  He’s benefitted from my generosity many times over the years so imagine his _desire_ to keep me placated.  We had a discussion about your actions and he decided that it was best for all concerned if you were given time to think about what you’d done.  A period of … reflection … as it were.  Be grateful I was in a … _good mood_ that day.”

Zane smiles.  Logan whimpers.  Harvey sighs.  It’s over.

* * *

Harvey enters his apartment quietly.  Donna smiles sleepily at him from the sofa, making Harvey frown.

“Why are you out here?  You could have –“

Harvey’s voice fades away to nothing.  His voice is non-existent.  Nothing in the entire world matters so much as what he sees before him now.

Mike stands in the doorway to the bedroom, rubbing his eyes with a fist like a small child.  A faint smile crosses his face when he registers Harvey’s presence.

“M-m-mike?” Harvey gasps.

Mike cocks his head.  “Hello, Harvey."


	7. Completeness Like Being Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who went on this ride with me ... I love these two so much. I'm glad you do too.

“John Wayne.”

“Is _dead_ , Mike.”

“Why yes, yes he is, Harvey.  Now what’s your answer?”

Harvey frowns, his brain spinning.  He growls.  “You know, it’s not really fair to me … I’m not the one with the magic brain.”

“Give up?” Mike taunts over the earpiece.

“No … give me a minute,” Harvey replies irritably.

Mike smiles to himself.  He can picture his alpha calibrating his rifle while trying to come up with an answer.  If he loses, Harvey will let Mike actually join him on the next job.  If Mike loses, he has to clean every gun Harvey owns to the alpha’s exacting standards – which might just take Mike the rest of his life.

“ _Fuck_ … I’ve got nothing,” Harvey says, resigned.

Mike grins but it fades when he brings his scope up.  Movement.  He purrs softly over the link and hears Harvey’s breathing shift.

“Adjust for wind speed … seven degrees,” Mike murmurs.

Harvey faces a large picture window in the target’s apartment.  The sun’s glare makes it impossible to see into the apartment.  Harvey’s omega lies far out of harm’s way but watches from a side view into the apartment.  Mike’s voice guides Harvey as he adjusts his weapon.  He closes his eyes and hears his mate talking, telling him where his target is in the room by landmarks they’ve already established.  Harvey has the interior of the apartment mapped out in his head and trusts Mike.  His movements are small and accurate.  Mike’s voice in his ear is that of a lover whispering to him in bed.

“Closet.”

Warm.

“Wet bar.”

Soft.

“Humidor.”

Close.

“Gray chair.”

Intimate.

“Now.”

Deadly.

* * *

The papers will report that a man died in his apartment.  The crime scene photos will show him slumped in a contoured gray leather chair, a cigar burned to a nub between two fingers and a shattered tumbler on the floor.  Glass fragments sparkle in a puddle of liquor.  His death is confusing to the police since he apparently had no enemies.  For Harvey’s client, it announces the end of a home-grown terrorist whose plan to end innocents lives is now moot.  His storage units are emptied and it all goes away like the man never was.

* * *

Mike strolls out of the bank’s elevator, smoothing his suit.  His hair is carefully trimmed and styled.  His suit is pinstriped with a matching tie.  His shoes are polished cleanly.  He walks with a slight limp and grips a dark leather briefcase.  His other hand his busy thumbing through emails on a smartphone.  His head is down and he walks oblivious to the stream of individuals around him.  Anyone looking over the cameras would see someone who matches an exec of the bank – a man who cards in at the front security carrels and leaves via a back exit in street clothes on Thursdays because it’s a faster walk to the subway stop he takes to his girlfriend’s house and he’s less likely to run into his colleagues.  He limps from a fall he took years ago.

* * *

Mike disappears down an alley and emerges on the other side in plain street clothes.  Ray pulls up the curb and Mike slides onto Harvey’s lap without a word.  He inhales Harvey’s sun-warmed laundry smell and smiles as he tucks his head under the alpha’s chin.  Harvey growls contentedly as Mike straddles his thighs and presses against him with a soft purr.  Mike’s new scent drifts upward, leaving Harvey drunk in its wake as always.

“God you smell so good, Mike,” Harvey mutters, nosing against his omega’s hair.

Mike cuddles closer.  “So do you, Harvey.”

They ride in silence for a moment.  Harvey sighs.

“You won.”

“I know.”

“So?  What’s the answer?”

Mike chuckles and looks up.  “John Wayne has a Bacon number of 2.”

“Two?  How the hell is he that close?  Bacon’s first movie was ’78 and John Wayne died in ’79!” Harvey protests.

“Robert Wagner,” Mike says.

Harvey frowns.  “Wagner … oh damn.  _Wild Things_.”

Mike grins and trails his fingers along Harvey’s jawline.  “You get to take me along next time.”

“I always take you along,” Harvey teases, enjoying the way Mike’s mouth tightens.

“Harvey …”

“Oh alright … but I swear to God if you do anything to put yourself –“ Harvey starts.

Mike kisses his alpha silent and for a long time, that’s all they do.  It took Mike nearly three months to find his way out of the darkness in his mind after Harvey dealt with Logan.  His nightmares happen less and less, but they are spectacular when they do occur.  Physical contact reaffirms the reality of his alpha to Mike.

Harvey enjoys Mike’s taste.  He loves being able to hold and touch his omega again in a way he never knew he could.  He wakes every day with Mike curled up against his side.  The emptiness inside him is gone, filled by the one human being that fits in his life.  Mike’s new scent emerged only days after Mike was able to fully recognize Harvey – leather and gun oil.  It’s perfect.  They spend their days prepping for the various jobs Harvey takes on and most of their nights wrapped around one another.  Mike’s heat, according to the doctors, will return in another month or so.  It will be long and probably very intense but Harvey thinks they’ll manage just fine. 

Ray drops them off at Harvey’s new place – yet another refurbished warehouse.  Mike sets out Harvey’s rifle and all the gear they used for later cleaning while Harvey showers and starts dinner.  Mike’s appetite has returned with a vengeance and Harvey loves watching him devour plate after plate.  It touches something very basic and primal in the alpha.  His mate is fed, clothed, safe and content.  All is right with the world for now.

“You’re staring,” Mike says after swallowing.

“Stop looking so delectable and I won’t stare,” Harvey counters.

Mike’s eyes look to the ceiling as he smiles.  “That … was actually kind of sweet.”

“Shut up,” Harvey snorts.  “I wasn’t being sweet.”

“Harvey, you love me and you know it.”

“That’s a given,” Harvey says.  “But I think something is missing, actually.”

Mike looks confused and then a little worried.  “Um, what are you talking about?”

Harvey gets up and walks into his office.  He returns with a leather box.  Mike looks shocked when Harvey kneels in front of him.  He tries to urge Harvey back to standing, his instincts screaming that it’s twelve sorts of wrong to have his alpha kneeling.  Harvey brushes off his hands.

“You know what this is,” Harvey says, his palm on the box. 

Mike nods, unable to speak.

“I love you, Mike.  Losing you, finding you again, not knowing if you were ever going to be _you_ again … it only clarified what I already knew.  You’re my mate and I will die before I ever let you go,” Harvey promises.  “Will you accept my collar … again?”

“Yes … but I need you to know something,” Mike says.

Harvey frowns but nods.  Mike urges him into a chair and puts the box to one side.

“I need … Harvey, I _remember_ what Logan did to me.  I _remember_ every minute in that fucking tank,” Mike whispers.

Harvey swallows hard, his mouth working as he fights not to cry.  “God … _Mike_ …”

Mike takes Harvey’s hands in both of his and rubs his thumb over the scarred knuckles.  “I was so scared, Harvey.  I kept saying your name over and over in my head until I couldn’t stand it anymore … until I went … away.  I held onto every memory of you while I was in that tank, Harvey.  I played every second we were together until I was there again … meeting you, holding you … going through my heats with you.  I made myself a promise that if you found me … if you came for me, I would remember.  I would come back.  Somehow.”

Harvey lets the tears fall on their hands.  “Mike … babe …”

Mike smiles and tilts Harvey’s chin up.  “You found me.  You came for me.  You _saved_ me.  And Logan … God what you did to Logan …”

Harvey blinks at him.  “Mike, how did you --?”

“Yeah, like I wasn’t going to find out what happened to Logan,” Mike chuckles.  “He hurt Rachel and I knew Robert Zane wouldn’t let _that_ slide easily.”

Harvey caresses Mike’s jaw.  “I wanted to carve him into small pieces.”

“No, what you did … it was perfect.  You’re the best alpha I could have ever wished for, Harvey,” Mike leaned close and brushed his lips over Harvey’s.  “Yes, I will wear your collar again.  I just want you to know – it doesn’t matter.  I’m yours.  I will never belong to anyone else.  And, God forbid, should someone try this again?  You fucking _find_ me, Harvey … you bring me home and I will come back to you.  I will _always_ come back to _you_.”

Harvey growls and Mike feels his body go boneless.  His alpha sends plates crashing to the floor as he clears the table and hoists Mike up on it.  He groans as Harvey pulls off his jeans and frees himself.  Mike’s slick eases Harvey’s entry but neither of them care – they just want to feel one another.  He cries out when he falls over the edge and Harvey follows with hissed declarations of love.  As they sink to the floor, Mike kisses Harvey softly.  He sighs when the alpha pulls down the box and slides out the collar.  It’s just like his previous one and Mike loves it.  Harvey puts it on with a gentle nuzzle.  Mike grins and exhales contentedly.  He runs his fingers over it.  He’s home.

Again.


End file.
